Cut-out device for windmills.



P. M. PENNINGTON.

CUT-OUT DEVICE FOR WINDMILLS.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. 27. 1917.

1 3QU. Patented June 35. 1918.

attoumq PHIL M. PENNINGTON, OF BELLEVUE, TEXAS.

CUT-OUT DEVICE FOR 'WINDMILLS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented June 25, 1918.

Application filed November 27, 1917. Serial No. 204,226.

To all whom it may concern 1 Be it known that I, PHIL M. PENNING- TON, acitizen of the United States of America, residing at Bellevue, R. F. l).#2, in the county of Clay and State of Texas, have invented new anduseful Improvements in Cut-Out Devices for Windmills, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The invention relates particularly to an improved attachment for windmills, whereby the mill may be thrown out of gear automatically when thesupply tank becomes filled.

Another feature of the invention resides in the provision of a latch forthe lever which throws the mill in gear, this latch being conjoined withthe weight that is rendered operative to release the latch only when thefloat carried within the tank is lifted by the water which fills thelatter.

Still another feature of the invention is the provision of a device ofthis character which is simple in construction, durable and eflective inoperation and which can be manufactured at smallcost.

Other and further features will be made apparent as the detaildescription of the de vice progresses.

To the exact construction in which the device is shown and described,the invention is not to be restricted. The actual reduction to practicemay show certain changes or alterations to be desirable and these theright is claimed to make in so far as they do not depart from the spiritof the subjoined claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is an elevation of a portion of a windmill tower, showing theimproved cutout mechanism attached thereto.

Fig. 2 is a view looking in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33 of Fi 1.

Feferring to the drawings in which only a portion of a windmill tower isshown, the arms 1 are attached by any suitable means to a post 2 of thetower, the lever 3 having one end pivotally mounted between thesearms 1. The lever 3 has attached to it the usual rod 4: which leads tothe mill and is designed to throw the latter into or out of gear,depending on whether it is drawn down or raised. The rod 4: is connectedto the lever 3 at a point slightly to one side of the longitudinalcenter of the latter and nearer to its pivotal connection with the arms1 than to its free end. Thus as the lever 3 is moved from the horizontalposition downward into the vertical position, the rod 4: operates tothrow in the clutch on the windmill, this portion of the windmillnotbeing shown because it is not essential to an understanding of theinvention. The conventional form of windmill clutch is arranged to standnormally in the inoperative position, so that this position tends toexert a pull on the rod 4 to raise the lever B to a horizontal positionunless the latter is retained in the vertical position before referredto.

With the present invention a latch 5 is designed for attachment to thepost 2 of the tower. This latch comprises a resilient plate having aright angled end 6 by means of which it is attached to the end of thepost, the plate further having a depression 7 formed in the upper face,in which depression the end of the lever 3 engages to hold the latter inthe vertical position. On the forward end of the latch but to one side,there is attached a'weight 8, the end of a cable 9 being also attachedat this point. The cable rises upwardly and passes over a pulley 10rotatably mounted in a bracket 11 which is attached to the post 2 of thetower. From the pulley 10, the cable 9 passes to a second pulley 12which is mounted in a bracket 13 that is attached on top of the watertank 1a, the cable" passing down into the water tank and carrying at itsend therein a float 15.

When the water tank 14 is empty, the float 15 remains suspended thereinand is of greater weight than the weight 8. Therefore, this fioat exertsa pull on the cable 9 which keeps the latch 5 raised to its highestposition. The windmill being in the inoperative position because of thelever 8 being raised so that the rod 4 does not exert a force to keepthe clutch engaged, the lever is depressed to the vertical position byhand and its free end made to engage in the depression 7 formed in thelatch 5, in which depression it remains engaged and keeps the windmillclutch in engagement because of the float 15 tending to raise the latch5. The windmill then begins the pumping operation and delivers the waterto the tank 1 1- (these connections not being shown because of beingunessential to an understanding of the invention) which water, whenclutch to be cut-out.

reaching a predetermined level in the tank, raises the float 15, thusallowing the weight 8 to exert the force of its weight on the end of thelatch 5, depressing the latter and releasing the lever 3 which thenrises to its horizontal position allowing the windmill It will beobserved, that when the tank 14 is empty, it is-only necessary todepress the lever 3 effecting the engagement between it and the latch 5before referred to. The filling operation then begins and no furtherattention is necessary, the windmill being thrown out of gearautomatically when the. tank 14 is supplied with water to apredetermined level.

The invention having been described, what is claimed as new and usefulis:

1. A cut-out device for windmills comprising a lever pivotally mountedon the tower of a windmill and having connection with the clutchthereof, whereby when the lever is horizontal the windmill is cut outand when the lever is vertical, the windmill is in the operativeposition, a latch attached to the tower of the windmill and having meansfor engaging the lever to hold Copies of this patent may be obtained forit in the vertical position, a water tank, a float therefor, and devicesconjoined with the float and with the latch whereby, when the tank issupplied with water to a predetermined level, the latch is automaticallyreleased from the lever.

2. A cut-out device for windmills comprising a lever pivotally mountedon the tower of a windmill and having connection with the clutchthereof, whereby when the lever is horizontalithe windmill is cut outand when the lever is vertical, the windmill is in the operativeposition, a latch attached to the tower of a windmill, the latch beingresilient and having a depression formed therein so that the lever maybe engaged there-by and held in the vertical position, a weight attachedto the free end of the latch, a water tank, a float therein, a cableconnecting the float with the free end of the latch, and pulleys overwhich the cable passes, whereby when water reaches a predetermined levelin the tank, the latch is released from the lever.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

PHIL M. PENNINGTON.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0.

